Chapter 32

The air seemed to grow still, and the evening sunlight became even more blinding.

Xu Zhilu stared at the person in front of her for a while, her lips moving, and after a long pause, she finally managed to say, “Shameless! Who’s thinking about you?”

Shen Siyan hadn’t expected her reaction to be so intense. Seeing her pale face, he quickly clarified, “No, no! Weren’t you just thinking about how narcissistic and boastful Shen Siyan is?”

Xu Zhilu: “…”

She didn’t know why, but she felt like she had fallen into Shen Siyan’s trap. No matter how she answered, it would be wrong.

Thinking about it, Xu Zhilu became annoyed and said, “Who would think that? I would never think that.”

She added confidently, “You’ve been narcissistic for so long, why should I be surprised?”

Shen Siyan was momentarily speechless.

“Okay,” he said, not upset. “Let’s go home.”

Xu Zhilu lowered her eyes, avoiding his gaze.

After getting on the bus, she sat in a corner by the window, tilting her head to look outside, signaling that she didn’t want to talk to Shen Siyan.

Shen Siyan respected her silence and stayed quiet, as if he wasn’t even there.

Xu Zhilu stopped paying attention to him, trying to distract herself.

But she had to admit, when Shen Siyan said she was thinking about him, her heart had skipped a beat. More importantly, at that very moment, she was  thinking about Shen Siyan.

For a moment, Xu Zhilu even felt that she was being a little shameless.

She didn’t know how to describe it. She had clearly told herself she wouldn’t like Shen Siyan anymore, but sometimes she couldn’t help being drawn to him, and even entertained wild thoughts because of his actions.

Xu Zhilu hated herself for feeling this way and found it annoying. She would say one thing and do another, which felt insincere.

But she had no choice.

It seemed she couldn’t control some of her thoughts and emotions at all.

Xu Zhilu was distressed.

She knocked on the car window and sighed, completely unsure of what to do.

Shen Siyan noticed her little movements, pursed his lips, but didn’t say anything.

The car was quiet for a while before Shen Siyan cleared his throat and asked, “What are your plans for the summer vacation?”

“I’ve got a job,” Xu Zhilu replied.

Shen Siyan was startled and turned to look at her. “What job?”

“I’m working at the dance studio,” Xu Zhilu said simply. “The teacher arranged it.”

Shen Siyan nodded, not thinking much of it.

“You’ll be at the dance studio every day?”

“Pretty much,” Xu Zhilu said. She looked at him and added, “You should find a summer cram school for yourself. I won’t have time to tutor you.”

“Okay,” Shen Siyan agreed.

Xu Zhilu didn’t say anything more.

When they arrived at her house, Xu Zhilu pushed her luggage inside.

Shen Siyan watched her for a moment before turning around and heading back to his own home.

_

Xu Zhijia and her mother weren’t home, so she enjoyed a peaceful dinner by herself.

After eating, she went to her room to write her summer vacation plan.

She had to attend performances with her dance teacher, but she also couldn’t fall behind in her studies.

She felt she had done well on her exams and should be able to make it into the top five. However, she couldn’t be 100% sure, so she hoped to secure a top spot in the next exam.

After writing out her study plan, Xu Zhilu gave herself the night off and didn’t study any further.

The next morning, Xu Zhilu packed her things and headed to the dance studio.

She had already informed her father that she would be performing with the dance troupe. Her father, likely thinking she was too noisy at home, readily agreed.

As she was leaving, Xu Zhilu glanced at the gate next door.

After some thought, she dragged her luggage over, left it in the yard, and walked inside.

Shen’s mother came to the door, surprised to see her.

“Zhilu, why are you here so early?” she asked in surprise. “Have you had breakfast? Do you want to have breakfast at Auntie’s house?”

Xu Zhilu shook her head. “Aunt Shen, where’s Shen Siyan?”

“He’s still sleeping,” Shen’s mother said, sounding disappointed. “That brat played games until midnight last night. I got up at three to get some water, and he was still at it.”

“Ah, I see,” Xu Zhilu said.

Shen’s mother nodded. “Do you need to talk to him? I can go wake him up.”

“No, it’s fine,” Xu Zhilu quickly replied. She smiled up at Shen’s mother. “It’s nothing, really. I just wanted to let you know that I might not be home during the summer vacation.”

Shen’s mother was stunned. “Where are you going?”

Xu Zhilu explained that she would be performing with the dance studio.

Shen’s mother was surprised, but after seeing the excitement in Xu Zhilu’s eyes, she encouraged her. “Alright, just be careful, and remember to keep in touch with Auntie. If you need anything, call me. Auntie doesn’t have much, but I have lots of friends who can help you anywhere.”

Xu Zhilu smiled and said, “Okay.”

She reached out and hugged Shen’s mother. “Then, Aunt Shen, I’m leaving now.”

Shen’s mother hesitated for a few seconds. “How about I wake up Shen Siyan?”

“No need,” Xu Zhilu declined. “It’s not a big deal. I just thought it would be better to tell him in person.”

In fact, she hadn’t planned to tell them in detail yesterday.

But just now, Xu Zhilu suddenly thought about her accommodation. Although it was a small matter, she preferred to handle it in person.

She didn’t want past regrets to repeat themselves.

Shen’s mother nodded. “Alright, I’ll tell him when he wakes up.”

“Good.”

“Is Uncle Liu driving you?”

Xu Zhilu shook her head. “He’s busy, so I’ll take a taxi.”

Hearing this, Shen’s mother disagreed. “No, Auntie will drive you.”

She grabbed the car keys and said, “Come on, let’s go. Auntie hasn’t driven in a while.”

Xu Zhilu: “…”

Before she could react, Shen’s mother had already pulled her out.

After driving out of the garage, Xu Zhilu found herself in the car again, a bit bewildered.

It took her a while before she couldn’t hold back her laughter.

“Aunt Shen.”

“Hmm?” Shen’s mother glanced at her. “What’s up?”

Xu Zhilu blinked and thought for a moment. “How about we have coffee together later?”

Shen’s mother nodded. “Sure, I haven’t had any today.”

She smiled. “Our Zhilu is so thoughtful, knowing Auntie’s daily habits.”

Xu Zhilu curled her lips silently and whispered, “That’s great.”

Shen’s mother smiled warmly at her.

“When you go out, make sure to stay safe, especially when staying in hotels. Lock your door and put a chair or something behind it. Don’t worry about being too cautious.”

“Alright,” Xu Zhilu agreed.

Shen’s mother kept giving her advice, worrying like a mother sending her child off on a trip.

At first, Xu Zhilu cheerfully agreed, but later, she started feeling a bit emotional.

She was both unfortunate and lucky.

She didn’t have the love of her biological mother, but she was cared for and loved by an aunt who wasn’t related to her by blood.

When they arrived at their destination, Xu Zhilu accompanied Shen’s mother for a cup of coffee.

Afterwards, she met up with the rest of the dance studio and set off for their first performance, which was in a neighboring city not far away.

After getting on the high-speed train, Xu Zhilu still felt vaguely uneasy.

Maybe it was because of the coffee, or perhaps for some other reason, but her heart felt a little uncomfortable.

“Zhilu, what’s wrong?”

Next to her was a college student who studied dance with her, named Tang Meng. She looked at Xu Zhilu with concern.

Xu Zhilu shook her head, took the water in front of her, and sipped it. “Maybe it’s just the coffee I drank this morning.”

Tang Meng sighed in relief. “You’re not used to it?”

“Not really.”

“If you’re not used to it, don’t drink it in the morning. Some people just can’t handle it.”

Xu Zhilu nodded. “I’ll remember that next time.”

Tang Meng smiled. “Let me know if you need anything. The high-speed train ride will take more than an hour.”

“Okay. You should rest, Tang Meng.”

“Uh-huh.”

Xu Zhilu calmed down, set her phone to silent mode, and leaned back in her chair to rest.

She hadn’t slept well the previous night and had gotten up early in the morning, so she was a little sleepy. Before she knew it, Xu Zhilu fell asleep.

_

When Shen Man got home, Shen Siyan was still asleep.

She didn’t wake him and busied herself with her own tasks. At noon, she even went out for a walk with her friends.

In the evening, Shen Guangyuan, who rarely came home for dinner, joined Shen Man and their son.

As they ate, Shen Man suddenly remembered something.

“By the way, Shen Siyan.”

Shen Siyan looked at her wearily. “Mom. What is it?”

Shen Man looked at him with mild disdain. “Don’t stay up so late. You look tired and could miss out on important things. Don’t you realize that?”

Shen Siyan was confused.

Shen Guangyuan also turned his head and looked at his wife. “What do you mean?”

Shen Man sneered. “Zhilu came to see you this morning, but you were still sleeping, so I had the chance to see her off instead.”

Shen Guangyuan raised his eyebrows and smiled.

Shen Siyan paused, chopsticks in hand, looking at her in confusion. “See her off?”

Shen Man was surprised. “No way—didn’t you contact Zhilu today?”

Shen Siyan shook his head.

When he woke up in the afternoon, he had sent a message to Xu Zhilu, but there was no reply. Shen Siyan usually had a sense of how quickly she would respond.

If Xu Zhilu didn’t reply promptly, it was usually because she was busy. She wasn’t like most young people these days, nor was she a high school student glued to her phone.

Hearing this, Shen Man smiled.

She looked at Shen Siyan with a knowing expression. “Well, then you missed your chance.”

Shen Siyan protested, “Mom!”

Shen Man smiled, took a sip of soup, and said, “Zhilu went to a neighboring city.”

Shen Siyan was stunned. “What? Why did she go there? Is she alone?”

“She went with her dance teacher and classmates. They’re performing during the summer vacation, and she signed up for it. She’ll be traveling to several cities and won’t be back soon.”

After saying that, Shen Man looked at him. “Didn’t she tell you beforehand?”

Shen Siyan pursed his lips and said nothing.

When Shen Man saw his reaction, she understood what was going on.

“Zhilu came over this morning to tell you, but you were still sleeping,” Shen Man said, spreading her hands. “You can’t blame us for that.”

Shen Siyan listened, feeling frustrated but having nowhere to direct his anger.